Natalie's Upside?

[divots]

Some interesting thoughts about a hard-working and valued team member who became a Husky with great height, a Big East ROY award and loads of expectations based primarily on hope, supposition and the offer of a UConn scholarship....other than found in the emotional comments found in mid-game threads against top-rate opposition, Nat's court performance has long been the proverbial Elephant in the Room where thoughts are plenty but written critiques are few and often softened by kind and positive references to character, work ethic and enthusiasm....I find it very unfair to saddle her with comparisons whether they be to Steph, Kia, Paige or Heather Buck....Nat is Nat and her !6+ minutes of game play is the decision of the GOAT coach who demands that playing time is earned in practice but must at times compromise a bit when foul troubles, illness, injury or fatigue factors into the game....such is life with a short bench...my decades spent as a high school men's head coach have witnessed hard-working athletes with skill limitations who always bring their best efforts to each and every practice and even show flashes of sustained terrific moments in practice but lack the intangible of confidence once the game lights turn on....like it, love it or not, Nat's value to her team and minutes on the court have contributed to a collective team performance that has far exceeded even the greatest of expectations and are on the precipice of breaking sacrosanct records set by Huskies of Christmas Past....who knows what the future holds for Nat's hands, footwork and defensive presence but my hope is for her continued work effort and enthusiasm finds a calmness and confidence that can be illusive to all witness the pre-game big-game jitters that descend upon us all before a game vs ND, Baylor, Maryland, South Carolina or an NCAA Final....Go Nat and Go Huskies!

 

[UcMiami]

Natalie's journey at Uconn has followed a similar path to Saniya's - they have both arrived at a place where they are contributing significantly to the success on the court for an undefeated team, having spent last year almost as surplus to requirements. And I think they both suffer a bit from a reluctance to really assert themselves, though Saniya with her drives in the last two games is perhaps snapping out of that a bit. I am not sure that either has a significant 'upside' from where they are now on this team - the big four are going to continue to dominate the statistics and they will continue to be complementary players in the scheme of things.

But what they provide should not be denigrated in any way - they have both provided the 'winning edge' in multiple games this season and will need to do so again multiple times through the rest of the season. DT may have been wonderful, but without Willnett's special magic, she would not have won three NCs. If this year's team is to win an NC or even get to a FF, it will because Saniya and Natalie are on this team.

 

[iamcbs]

You BY'ers are hard, hard, hard, what you have with Natalie Butler is what you're going to get. She's not Stef Dolson, she never was and she's never going to be. Most folks knew nothing about her when she transferred other than she had been Big East FOY and led the BE in double-doubles. She has some skills, but she also has some deficiencies. She is as good now as she's ever going to be, she works hard that much is obvious and she gives this team every ounce of energy and effort she has why can't that in and of itself be enough?

 

[Bliss]

Natalie is just not what I would refer to as being a "natural," the type of player who acts and reacts quickly based upon instinct rather than having to think about the situation. Yes, "bad" hands, being slow, and not being a jumper are also negatives. This is not a criticism of her, though, because she can't help it and I don't believe any amount of coaching can change that. IMO she is playing to her potential right now. She does and will, however, help the team for those minutes she spells Pheese and Gabby.

I feel bad for even posting this but it is what it is.

 

[Jonathan Husky]

You BY'ers are hard, hard, hard, what you have with Natalie Butler is what you're going to get. She's not Stef Dolson, she never was and she's never going to be. Most folks knew nothing about her when she transferred other than she had been Big East FOY and led the BE in double-doubles. She has some skills, but she also has some deficiencies. She is as good now as she's ever going to be, she works hard that much is obvious and she gives this team every ounce of energy and effort she has why can't that in and of itself be enough?

I think you have it just right. You have to give her credit for her effort and not expect her to become more athletic. The place I think she can improve is by taking all the shots that are available to her instead of passing most of them up.

 

[wallman]

Bottom line you need her as you have foul trouble in the paint and those extra 5 fouls give you a cushion. Sh e also sets some good screens and you want her to stay within herself or anything else could hurt your team.

 

[CL82]

Geesh, tough crowd.

One of Nat's upside that I didn't see mentioned is she is physically big enough to box out tradition front court players. This has value. Remember part of boxing out is making sure that your player can't get the rebound. Natalie is effective at that. She isn't as athletic as Pheesa or Gabby, for sure, but that is an incredibly tough standard. Those two girls' athleticism is just plain freakish.

 

[uconnfan68]

Too tentative right now. Has a good touch from foul line in. Doesn't use glass when on angles though (see Gabby).

 

[TitleTown]

If I came across less than civil--and I try to not damn opinions--cuz that's all they are--if I made you think other wise i apologize. You are right we discuss the good games and how great so and so was. That's great. But Natalie seems to be an on going --same and more of the same. Again you are generous in you reply--and again--if i offended accept my apology.

Your post was perfectly fine and I also see where you are coming from. Absolutely no need to apologize. Go Huskies!

 

[pacific 44]

When Natalie leaves Uconn she will be a decent overseas player and noone will be able to take away the three nat'l championship rings that she will have accumulated by then.

 

[CL82]

When Natalie leaves Uconn she will be a decent overseas player and noone will be able to take away the three nat'l championship rings that she will have accumulated by then.

Didn't she get one during her red shirt year?

 

[Monte]

Natalie seems to me like she is thinking the game step by step instead of reacting instinctively. Her footwork can also use work. She spreads her feet
wide and it forces her to have to gather herself before shooting or in order to change direction on defense.

I think the staff should, and probably does, work with her on two or three "automatic" moves, "When you get the ball here you turn left and take a baby hook shot with your right hand." "When you get it here go back up immediately."

Natalie is less "college polished" than many of UConn's recruits. She will have a learning curve this year and next but she will play important minutes and we will need her.

I like your thoughts. She is good to have around as a backup(she helped in the Texas game), but it is really hard to find another starting five in the country with the speed and offensive skills of the present team. Box out, and run, and score before the other team knows what hit them......I like what the starters are doing.

 

[Huskee11]

I have been supportive of Butler because we would be in big trouble without her. We have needed her minutes to get through foul trouble, most notably against Baylor and Maryland, and if she was not on the roster the winning streak would be over (even though she has made plenty of blunders, esp. against Maryland). Of course, when she is in there is going to be a drop off from Williams, probably the most athletic forward in WCBB, or Collier, possibly the best forward in WCBB. But the question I think should be asked is where would Geno turn at that point if Butler was not available.

If you were the coaching staff, what would you be working on with her? Hopefully rebounding drill after rebounding drill, to get a "that`s mine" mindset; and drills to get her to stay tall (why does she pretend to be 5'6"?) and go up quicker and stronger on the offensive end from point blank range. She must be getting tired of having shots blocked by players 7" shorter. Maybe increased minutes in January and February will help her play more confidently and aggressively.

Also, does anyone remember her shooting a baby hook shot, ever? I think Megan Culmo mentioned that she could have used one the other day against UCF. If she could develop that, it probably would make a notable difference.

Although I doubt there is a significant upside, the perplexing thing is that when she came from Georgetown, we were getting a player who had averaged 13.9 ppg and 13.3 rpg as a freshman in 2013-2014. She averaged 36.2 minutes per game and fouled out only once. This year, she is averaging 3.7 and 4.6 in 16.8 minutes.

That year, she played 9 games against NCAA tournament teams. Here are her points/rebounds in those games: Depaul, 9/10, 15/13, 8/11; St. Johns, 14/10, 8/14; California, 16/15; Penn State, 12/9; Mich State, 7/12; and Florida, 16/18. Against other decent 20+ win Big East teams, Creighton 24/13, 13/14; Villanova, 19/14, 12/13; and Marquette 12/12, 14/8. These are not teams that are at the level of Baylor, Notre Dame, or Maryland, but it is a decent level of play. And while figures can lie and liars can figure, those are nevertheless some impressive stats.

So, what to make of that? She has shown she can play at a respectable Division I level. Three years later, she has gotten into better shape, has had the benefit of UConn coaching, and has been working on her game. She should be better than she was then. That may be the best argument that there is an upside waiting to burst out. If and when it does, it will be to a thunderous ovation!

 

[oldude]

I watched the UCF game again today focusing on Butler. Yes she had a few to's and a couple of fumbled rebounds, but while she was in the game she did a very good job of working to deny the entry pass into the post, switching off with teammates on assignments and boxing out while Gabby, Lou & Pheesa hauled in the rebounds. She also had a really nice shot block late in the game where she came across the lane to swat a shot out of bounds. It wasn't quite like Stewie, but I'll take it.

On offense, Nat had 3 nice assists including a very nice post entry to Pheesa and a really pretty feed to Danger for a 3-pt play (role reversal).

In summary, Nat is doing fine. She understands the system and she is becoming more effective within that system. For UConn to win their 12th championship, I can almost guarantee that the Huskies will need Nat to provide some key minutes during the run. I personally believe that she will.

 

[HuskiesU]

Shes like a Robot out there but Nat isnt that bad at all when she gets out there. Its her gathering going up for a lay up or her ability to jump for rebounds is whats stopping her from being a better player. Love how hard she plays and her attitude on and off the court

 

[jsloanjr]

Nat has lead feet that do not move very quickly or jump very high......Geno is so right, his team is too nice and they need to develop a mean streak and that starts with all the post players.........Can you imagine DT at 6'5" with her attitude...........They get exposed on the dribble drives with zero baseline help or nobody wants to knock that person 5 rows into the crowd......Geno is trying to toughen them up before March Madness!!.......Good luck!!

 

[DefenseBB]

Natalie is a RS Junior. Unless we advance the conversation well beyond "upside" we will not realize how much she has already contributed to this year's team. Let's stop obsessing over the things she can't do and appreciate the things she has done.

A 6'5" post needs to be able to score and execute put-backs. And yes, we are appreciative of what she has already contributed. That said if we want to beat a much improved Baylor team with 4 quality bigs, Butler needs to provide offensive as well as defensive minutes.

 

[mntncougar]

You cannot compare Gabby, Napheesa --realistically-- to Natalie. Size and width and weigh have a tendency to slow "big" girls down. To Natalies credit, she slimmed down a bit. She will never be a 'quick', sure footed player--
She is a thinker--not accustomed to 'reacting'.
Why then does UConn want or need her; Natalie, has good hands, if the passes isnt a bullet--she'll catch it. So that is up to the guard to know who and how to pass to. She is a very good rebounder. At times she has been tentative in her passing but that will work it's way out when she plays with the BiG4 more often. She a very good shooter, usually, from 15 feet into the basket.
The one thing Ms Butler does not need ----MORE CRITiCS---Geno will give her more critiques than she'll ever desire!!

Uconn needs her ---as seen in the MD game--when Collier and or Gabby get into foul trouble or illness--it will never be unplug Napheesa and plug in Natalie--but she will provide decent minutes in the post ---and if she develops the confidence she had at GT--she'll be a huge asset!!

I agree with most of what you say, but I very strongly disagree about one thing. She has about the worst hands I've ever seen. She routinely drops clean passes and does a great job of getting up for a rebound, only to have it slip through her hands. This has happened time and again this year and i can't remember another player with significant (though limited) minutes being as bad in that respect.
However, I'm somewhat puzzled by it. I don't think this is a problem that necessarily gets better with increased minutes. I think it is something that can be greatly improved by work in the gym, particularly with a partner. There are many exercises with weights, balls, etc. that can help. I would think the staff would be working with her on it.
You're totally right - we need her this year and she has already given some valuable minutes. I'm rooting for her. But I'd love to see this problem fade away.

 

[bballnut90]

Butler is fine--she doesn't have a ton of upside but I think she can play her role well for Connecticut. I posted this in another thread, but this team has 4 games left that could be competitive: South Carolina, Elite 8, Final Four and Championship. Obviously this is discrediting the AAC games where she'll see more minutes, but for all intensive purposes, there are only 4 games left that could be competitive.

Roster wise, UCONN has a really good starting 5, a streaky freshman point guard and Butler as players who can see meaningful minutes in those game. Butler's role this year has been to spot forwards when they get into foul trouble. In big games, there is no way KLS/Collier/Williams come off the floor unless they get into foul trouble or really need a breather. If they do, then Butler will spot them for the 2-3 minutes they are out and then go back to the bench. While she is in the game, she doesn't have to do anything spectacular--just go for rebounds, block out, plant and set picks, put a body on the opposition's post, etc. She wont be looked at to score or do anything more meaningful. She isn't going to standout when you watch her, but more importantly, she isn't going to hurt Connecticut. If she can have a net zero for the 5 minutes she plays, that's perfect, because when UCONN has their three forwards on the court, the advantage flips to the Huskies.


Next year I'd expect her to have a similar role, but she won't be the only insurance for post players. Canada and Stevens will be in the mix and this could push Butler a little further down the depth chart.

Butler isn't a bad player, but she also isn't a player who is likely to play big minutes for the #1 team. She did a very good job playing for a bottom feeder in a weak conference, but doesn't have the skills and experience to be a regular contributor for a championship caliber team in big games. Same goes for Irwin and Bent. What these players do bring is good work ethic, positive vibes for the team and an unselfish nature. Maybe there's more to her future on the court with UCONN that I'm not seeing, but for what it's worth, that's my 2 cents.

 

[WiseOne]

Butler is fine--she doesn't have a ton of upside but I think she can play her role well for Connecticut. I posted this in another thread, but this team has 4 games left that could be competitive: South Carolina, Elite 8, Final Four and Championship. Obviously this is discrediting the AAC games where she'll see more minutes, but for all intensive purposes, there are only 4 games left that could be competitive.

Roster wise, UCONN has a really good starting 5, a streaky freshman point guard and Butler as players who can see meaningful minutes in those game. Butler's role this year has been to spot forwards when they get into foul trouble. In big games, there is no way KLS/Collier/Williams come off the floor unless they get into foul trouble or really need a breather. If they do, then Butler will spot them for the 2-3 minutes they are out and then go back to the bench. While she is in the game, she doesn't have to do anything spectacular--just go for rebounds, block out, plant and set picks, put a body on the opposition's post, etc. She wont be looked at to score or do anything more meaningful. She isn't going to standout when you watch her, but more importantly, she isn't going to hurt Connecticut. If she can have a net zero for the 5 minutes she plays, that's perfect, because when UCONN has their three forwards on the court, the advantage flips to the Huskies.


Next year I'd expect her to have a similar role, but she won't be the only insurance for post players. Canada and Stevens will be in the mix and this could push Butler a little further down the depth chart.

Butler isn't a bad player, but she also isn't a player who is likely to play big minutes for the #1 team. She did a very good job playing for a bottom feeder in a weak conference, but doesn't have the skills and experience to be a regular contributor for a championship caliber team in big games. Same goes for Irwin and Bent. What these players do bring is good work ethic, positive vibes for the team and an unselfish nature. Maybe there's more to her future on the court with UCONN that I'm not seeing, but for what it's worth, that's my 2 cents.

I agree but who is Canada????

 

[Gus Mahler]

Butler is fine--she doesn't have a ton of upside but I think she can play her role well for Connecticut. I posted this in another thread, but this team has 4 games left that could be competitive: South Carolina, Elite 8, Final Four and Championship. Obviously this is discrediting the AAC games where she'll see more minutes, but for all intensive purposes, there are only 4 games left that could be competitive.

Roster wise, UCONN has a really good starting 5, a streaky freshman point guard and Butler as players who can see meaningful minutes in those game. Butler's role this year has been to spot forwards when they get into foul trouble. In big games, there is no way KLS/Collier/Williams come off the floor unless they get into foul trouble or really need a breather. If they do, then Butler will spot them for the 2-3 minutes they are out and then go back to the bench. While she is in the game, she doesn't have to do anything spectacular--just go for rebounds, block out, plant and set picks, put a body on the opposition's post, etc. She wont be looked at to score or do anything more meaningful. She isn't going to standout when you watch her, but more importantly, she isn't going to hurt Connecticut. If she can have a net zero for the 5 minutes she plays, that's perfect, because when UCONN has their three forwards on the court, the advantage flips to the Huskies.


Next year I'd expect her to have a similar role, but she won't be the only insurance for post players. Canada and Stevens will be in the mix and this could push Butler a little further down the depth chart.

Butler isn't a bad player, but she also isn't a player who is likely to play big minutes for the #1 team. She did a very good job playing for a bottom feeder in a weak conference, but doesn't have the skills and experience to be a regular contributor for a championship caliber team in big games. Same goes for Irwin and Bent. What these players do bring is good work ethic, positive vibes for the team and an unselfish nature. Maybe there's more to her future on the court with UCONN that I'm not seeing, but for what it's worth, that's my 2 cents.

Pretty reasonable two cents.

 

[bballnut90]

I agree but who is Canada????

Camara** phone autocorrected it

 

[hoophuskee]

Butler is fine--she doesn't have a ton of upside but I think she can play her role well for Connecticut. I posted this in another thread, but this team has 4 games left that could be competitive: South Carolina, Elite 8, Final Four and Championship. Obviously this is discrediting the AAC games where she'll see more minutes, but for all intensive purposes, there are only 4 games left that could be competitive.

Roster wise, UCONN has a really good starting 5, a streaky freshman point guard and Butler as players who can see meaningful minutes in those game. Butler's role this year has been to spot forwards when they get into foul trouble. In big games, there is no way KLS/Collier/Williams come off the floor unless they get into foul trouble or really need a breather. If they do, then Butler will spot them for the 2-3 minutes they are out and then go back to the bench. While she is in the game, she doesn't have to do anything spectacular--just go for rebounds, block out, plant and set picks, put a body on the opposition's post, etc. She wont be looked at to score or do anything more meaningful. She isn't going to standout when you watch her, but more importantly, she isn't going to hurt Connecticut. If she can have a net zero for the 5 minutes she plays, that's perfect, because when UCONN has their three forwards on the court, the advantage flips to the Huskies.


Next year I'd expect her to have a similar role, but she won't be the only insurance for post players. Canada and Stevens will be in the mix and this could push Butler a little further down the depth chart.

Butler isn't a bad player, but she also isn't a player who is likely to play big minutes for the #1 team. She did a very good job playing for a bottom feeder in a weak conference, but doesn't have the skills and experience to be a regular contributor for a championship caliber team in big games. Same goes for Irwin and Bent. What these players do bring is good work ethic, positive vibes for the team and an unselfish nature. Maybe there's more to her future on the court with UCONN that I'm not seeing, but for what it's worth, that's my 2 cents.

I don't agree with the bold at all. We don't win vs Texas without Butler. We were able to slide Collier and Williams off the center spot and play a bit off the post. Texas was a physical beast. And we needed her more than just 2-3 minutes vs Baylor.

 

[Siestakeyfan]

Natalie seems to me like she is thinking the game step by step instead of reacting instinctively. Her footwork can also use work. She spreads her feet
wide and it forces her to have to gather herself before shooting or in order to change direction on defense.

I think the staff should, and probably does, work with her on two or three "automatic" moves, "When you get the ball here you turn left and take a baby hook shot with your right hand." "When you get it here go back up immediately."

Natalie is less "college polished" than many of UConn's recruits. She will have a learning curve this year and next but she will play important minutes and we will need her.

Natalie brings the ball down for all to challenge Height advantage gone ! Coordination is limited !

 

[oldude]

Natalie brings the ball down for all to challenge Height advantage gone ! Coordination is limited !

While Nat does struggle at times to initially secure the ball, one of the points I made earlier is just the opposite. If you watch Nat this year vs last, it is clear that she has been coached to hold the ball above her head with both hands where nobody can challenge her. It allows her to see the court, make better passes and essentially play to her 6'5" height.

If we are going to assess a player's game, we should give them credit when they work hard to improve an aspect of their game as Nat has done this year.